Content and Scope:  Why are humans unique in so many features; in having culture and language; in being bipedal; in the way we gather our food, and its extraordinary range; in our social and sexual behavior and its variability?  This course examines patterns of anatomical, behavioral, and genetic similarities and differences among living primates and humans, and the evidence for human evolution as reconstructed from the fossil record.  A wide range of evidence from the natural and social sciences is presented to understand present and past anatomical and behavioral adaptations, and to view humans and our ancestors as members of diverse animal and plant communities.  Our goal is to understand the place of humans in the world.

This course is an introduction to the principles and the methods of physical anthropology.  Physical anthropology is the study of human beings in a biological context, and seeks to explain our relationship to other primates and to the rest of the natural world.  In other words, who are we? how are we unique? how, why, an when did we come to be the way we are?The study of physical anthropology requires many different types of knowledge.  Throughout the course, we will examine anatomical, behavioral, and genetic similarities and differences among living primates, learn the basic mechanisms of the evolutionary process, and trace a pathway of human evolution as reconstructed from the fossil record.  The main goal of the course is to obtain a clear understanding of our place in nature.

This seminar is an in depth examination of the fossil record for nonhuman primate evolution.After a basic grounding in the anatomy, ecology, and systematics of living primates, we will explore each of the major radiations of fossil primates with respect to adaptive diversity, functional morphology, and systematics.

This course is an examination of the fossil record for (nonhuman) primate evolution.  The fossil record will be examined after a basic grounding in the anatomy, ecology, and systematics of living primates.  Each of the major radiations of fossil primates will be explored with respect to adaptive diversity, functional morphology, and systematics.

This course is an introduction to the principles and the methods of physical anthropology.  Physical anthropology is the study of human beings in a biological context, and seeks to explain our relationship to other primates and to the rest of the natural world.  In other words, who are we? how are we unique? how, why, an when did we come to be the way we are?The study of physical anthropology requires many different types of knowledge.  Throughout the course, we will examine anatomical, behavioral, and genetic similarities and differences among living primates, learn the basic mechanisms of the evolutionary process, and trace a pathway of human evolution as reconstructed from the fossil record.  The main goal of the course is to obtain a clear understanding of our place in nature.

An exploration of the relationship between primate anatomical form and function, with emphasis on adaptations to diet and locomotion.  The course is also designed to demonstrate how such information can be applied to the fossil record in order to reconstruct the evolutionary development of primate adaptations.

Content and Scope:  Why are humans unique in so many features; in having culture and language; in being bipedal; in the way we gather our food, and its extraordinary range; in our social and sexual behavior and its variability?  This course examines patterns of anatomical, behavioral, and genetic similarities and differences among living primates and humans, and the evidence for human evolution as reconstructed from the fossil record.  A wide range of evidence from the natural and social sciences is presented to understand present and past anatomical and behavioral adaptations, and to view humans and our ancestors as members of diverse animal and plant communities.  Our goal is to understand the place of humans in the world.

This course is an introduction to the principles and the methods of physical anthropology.  Physical anthropology is the study of human beings in a biological context, and seeks to explain our relationship to other primates and to the rest of the natural world.  In other words, who are we? how are we unique? how, why, an when did we come to be the way we are?The study of physical anthropology requires many different types of knowledge.  Throughout the course, we will examine anatomical, behavioral, and genetic similarities and differences among living primates, learn the basic mechanisms of the evolutionary process, and trace a pathway of human evolution as reconstructed from the fossil record.  The main goal of the course is to obtain a clear understanding of our place in nature.

An exploration of the relationship between primate anatomical form and function, with emphasis on adaptations to diet and locomotion.  The course is also designed to demonstrate how such information can be applied to the fossil record in order to reconstruct the evolutionary development of primate adaptations.

This course is an examination of the fossil record for (nonhuman) primate evolution.  The fossil record will be examined after a basic grounding in the anatomy, ecology, and systematics of living primates.  Each of the major radiations of fossil primates will be explored with respect to adaptive diversity, functional morphology, and systematics.

This course is an exploration of the relationship between primate anatomical form and function.  The course is designed to demonstrate how the primate body form is adapted to its many functions, with an emphasis on adaptations to diet and locomotion.  There will be lectures as well as laboratory work.  The lab will NOT include dissection, but will emphasize the diversity and function of the primate skeleton and give you a chance to learn anatomy "hands-on".

An exploration of the relationship between primate anatomical form and function, with emphasis on adaptations to diet and locomotion.  The course is also designed to demonstrate how such information can be applied to the fossil record in order to reconstruct the evolutionary development of primate adaptations.

                                                          PRIMATE ANATOMY

ANT 432L Unique# 30500

Fall 2009/Shapiro

TTH 12:30-2:00  EPS 2.102

LAB: THURSDAY: 3:30-5:30 EPS 2.102

COURSE WEBSITE: (via Blackboard): http://courses.utexas.edu)

Instructor:                 Liza Shapiro

                                    Office Hours: Tues/Thurs 2-3 or by appointment

                                    EPS 1.136

                                    Phone: 471-7533

                                    Email: liza.shapiro@mail.utexas.edu

If you can't come to my office during office hours, please feel free to make an appointment!  You are also welcome to communicate with me by email.

Teaching Assistant: Gabrielle Russo

                                    Office Hours : Thurs 10-12

                                    EPS 2.104

                                    Phone: 232-3905, 471-4206

                                    Email: gabrielle.russo@mail.utexas.edu

Prerequisites: ANT 301 or Human biology major or consent of instructor.

Required Texts:

Gebo, D (1993) Postcranial Adaptation in Nonhuman Primates. Northern Illinois University Press.

Whitehead P, Sacco W, and Hochgraf S (2005) A Photographic Atlas for Physical Anthropology. Morton Publishing Company.

Recommended text:

Fleagle, John (1999) Primate Adaptation and Evolution. Academic Press.

The textbooks are available at the University Co-Op and are also on reserve in the Life Sciences Library (2nd floor, Main Building).

Other required readings:

1. Readings online: In addition to the textbook readings, there are numerous other assigned readings that are available in pdf format via the course website (http://courses.utexas.edu) . These readings are required.

2. Lab readings and assignments: For each lab, go to “Assignments” on Blackboard and download the lab reading and assignment sheet. Read the assignment before coming to lab. You MUST bring your lab readings and assignment sheets to lab EVERY WEEK.

Course description and objectives:

            This course is an exploration of the relationship between primate anatomical form and function.  The course is designed to demonstrate how the primate body form is adapted to its many functions, with an emphasis on adaptations to diet and locomotion.  There will be lectures as well as a separate laboratory section.  The lab will NOT include dissection, but will emphasize the diversity and function of the primate skeleton and give you a chance to learn anatomy "hands-on".

After taking the course, you should:

1) have a good grasp of basic primate anatomy - e.g. be able to identify the bones that comprise the skeleton, and to understand the arrangement of the basic muscle groups described in class;

2)understand the various methodological approaches one can use to elucidate the relationship between morphology and function;

3) be able to provide functional explanations for some of the basic anatomical differences among primates;

4) understand how the study of functional morphology in living primates can be applied to the reconstruction of behavior in fossil primates.

Grading : Grades are based on the following:

            1. Midterm                20%  

            2. Final                       20%    

            3. Lab Quiz                10%   

            4. Lab Final                20%       

            5. Term Paper           15% (including choosing paper topic by due date, 11/17/09).

            6. Lab assignments  10%

7. Participation in class discussion 5%

(I expect you to be able to demonstrate your understanding  of the reading material by responding to questions I might ask in class, or simply by asking relevant questions yourself).

Lab grades:  Each lab includes a weekly assignment to hand in. You will be graded on the weekly lab assignments, and you will be tested on the lab material twice during the semester.  There will be a lab quiz, covering only the 4 labs on the human skeleton.  At the end of the semester, there will also be a lab final that covers the remaining lab material.  Both the lab quiz and the lab final will be in the form of a lab practical.  The percentage of your final grade for each of these components of lab are listed above.

Midterm: The midterm is 20% of your final grade and will consist of multiple choice questions and short essays.  The material you are responsible for comes from the lectures, the readings, and the labs.

Final: The final (20% of your grade) is not cumulative and also includes material from the lectures, the readings, and the labs.

Term Paper:  Each student will be required to write a term paper 10-15 pages long (double-spaced!).  The paper is worth 15% of your final grade. Details about the content of the term paper are on a separate handout (see website)

Course policies:

The following policies are not intended to be harsh, but are included to provide clear guidelines on issues that students often face throughout the semester.

Make-ups

There will be no make-up exams or in-class labs.  Exceptions will be made only 1) with proof of dire emergency or illness , 2) due to observance of a religious holy day, or 3) due to military service.

 Illness or emergency: If you miss an exam or lab due to illness or emergency, contact me as soon as possible either before the exam or within 2 days after the exam or lab.  You will not be given a make-up unless you can provide documentation regarding the reason for your absence.

Religious holy days. A student who misses classes or other required activities, including examinations, for the observance of a religious holy day should inform me as far in advance of the absence as possible, so that arrangements can be made to complete an assignment within a reasonable time after the absence.

Absence for military service. In accordance with section 51.9111 of the Texas Education Code, a student is excused from attending classes or engaging in other required activities, including exams, if he or she is called to active military service of a reasonably brief duration. [The maximum time for which the student may be excused has been defined by the Texas Higher Education Coordinating Board as "no more than 25 percent of the total number of class meetings or the contact hour equivalent (not including the final examination period) for the specific course or courses in which the student is currently enrolled at the beginning of the period of active military service.”] The student will be allowed a reasonable time after the absence to complete assignments and take exams.

Students with disabilities:  At the beginning of the semester, students with disabilities who need special accommodations should notify the instructor by presenting a letter prepared by the Services for Students with Disabilities (SSD) office.  To ensure the most appropriate accommodations can be provided, students should contact the SSD at 471-6259. See http://deanofstudents.utexas.edu/ssd/

Late assignments

Late labs will cost you 10% of your grade per day. This could change your grade dramatically (e.g. an 86% would become 77%) .  Don't be late!

Attendance

I do not take formal attendance, but I am aware of who consistently comes to class and who doesn’t.  Consistent attendance can help boost your grade if you end up with a borderline final grade. Whether you come to class or not, you are responsible for keeping up with what happens in class.  This applies to the content of the class, handouts, and announcements about class policies, events, deadlines, etc.  Lectures and announcements can be found on Blackboard, but it is easy to miss other pertinent information if you are absent from class.

Grades

The grade you are given, either on an individual exam or assignment or as your final grade, is not the starting point of a negotiation. It is your grade unless an error has been made. If you think an error has been made, let me know within one week of receiving the assignment or exam grade.

Extra Credit:

I do not offer “extra credit” opportunities.  If you are struggling in the course, please come for help during the semester when there is still time for me to help you. Take advantage of my office hours or make an appointment with me.

Do not wait until the course is over and ask me to change your grade because you are trying to graduate, or you have had a tough time with your personal life this semester.  By then, it is too late for me to help you.

Scholastic Dishonesty

Students who violate University rules on scholastic dishonesty are subject to disciplinary penalties, including the possibility of failure in the course and/or dismissal from The University.  Scholastic dishonesty" includes, but is not limited to, cheating, plagiarism, collusion, falsifying academic records, misrepresenting facts, and any act designed to give unfair academic advantage to the student (such as, but not limited to, submission of essentially the same written assignment for two courses without the prior permission of the instructor), or the attempt to commit such an act.  For more information, see section 11-802 in the General Information Catalog http://www.utexas.edu/student/registrar/catalogs/gi06-07/app/appc11.html - Subchapter.11-300

                                                          LECTURE SCHEDULE

Aug    27                    Introduction

Sep      1                      The primate musculoskeletal system           

            3                      Primate diversity

            8                      The evolutionary origin of primate features

            10                    Adaptation, natural selection, and functional

                                    morphology

            15                    Functional morphology: methods

            17                    Muscles and lever systems

            22                    Locomotion 

            24                    Primate quadrupedal gait

            29                    Lab 5: Primate Quadrupedal Gait (meet in MEZES 2.120 at 12:30)

Oct      1                      MOVIE

            6                      Bone Biomechanics

            8                      Body size and primate adaptations          

            13                    *  MIDTERM  *

            15                    Review for lab quiz

            20                    Functional morphology of the dentition

            22                    Functional morphology of the jaw

            27                    Functional morphology of the forelimb I (arm,            

                                    forearm, shoulder, elbow)

            29                    Functional morphology of the forelimb II (hands)                  

Nov    3                      Functional morphology of the vertebral column

            5                      Kinematics of bipedalism

            10                    Functional morphology of the hindlimb I (leg, hip, knee)

            12                    Functional morphology of the hindlimb II (feet)

               17         Lab 10: Kinematics of Bipedalism (go to Mezes 2.120 at 12:30 p.m.)   PAPER TOPIC DUE TODAY AT 12:30.

            19                    Reconstruction of locomotor behavior in fossils:

                                    Australopithecus afarensis and the evolution of bipedalism

                                    24                    (Lab during class time): LAB 12: Locomotor anatomy of Australopithecus afarensis  

                                    26                    THANKSGIVING

Dec     1                      Review for lab final (TERM PAPER DUE TODAY AT 12:30)

            3                      No class (study for lab final!)- lab final during lab hours (3:30)

** FINAL EXAM **

Thurs, December 10, 2:00–4:00  pm (2 hrs, not 3)

ANT 432L   PRIMATE ANATOMY     Fall 2009

                                 LAB SCHEDULE  (THURS 3:30-5:30 PM, EPS 2.102)

Aug    27        No lab

Sep      3          LAB 1: Shoulder and Forelimb: Osteology

            10        LAB 2: Pelvis and Hindlimb: Osteology

            17        LAB 3: Skull, Vertebral Column and Thorax: Osteology

            24        LAB 4: Muscles and Lever Systems

(Note: LAB 5: Primate quadrupedal gait will be held in during class time on Tues Sept 29 in MEZ 2.120  at 12:30—2:00)

Oct                  1          Feedback and discussion of lever lab and quadrupedal gait lab

            8          Review for lab quiz

            15        Lab Quiz (on osteology only)

            22        LAB 6: Primate Teeth and Jaws

            29        LAB 7: The Primate Forelimb

Nov    5          LAB 8: Primate Vertebral Column and Thorax 

            12        LAB 9: Back muscle function during locomotion (Lab will be held in

Introduction to Graduate Physical Anthropology

ANT 392L  Unique # 30700    Fall 2009

Wed. 2:00 – 5:00  EPS 2.102

Shapiro

Course website on Blackboard: Access via http://courses.utexas.edu

Instructor: Liza Shapiro

Office Hours:  Tues/Thurs. 2-3 or by appointment

EPS 1.136

471-7533

liza.shapiro@mail.utexas.edu

This course will consist of a combination of lectures, discussions and student presentations, and will cover major topics in physical anthropology. Topics covered will include evolutionary theory, anatomical, behavioral and genetic diversity among primates, human variation and adaptation, morphological and molecular approaches to phylogenetic reconstruction, and the human and nonhuman primate fossil record. Lab material will also be incorporated into the course. The course does not cover all aspects of physical anthropology, but is designed to emphasize the focus of the physical anthropology graduate program at UT Austin. The goal of the course is to give you an overview of the field, while allowing you to identify areas of research you might want to pursue at the master’s and doctoral levels.

Course requirements:

Paper assignment 1 (due Sept 16)                                                                               15%

1 lab assignment   (due Oct 21)                                                                                   15%

Paper assignment 2 (due Nov 4)                                                                                 15%

Term project presentation/paper (Dec 2/Dec 7)                                               30% (15%each)

Leading class discussion                                                                                             15%

Participation in class discussion                                                                                  10%

Readings:

Textbooks:

Whitehead P, Sacco W, and Hochgraf S (2005) A Photographic Atlas for Physical Anthropology. Morton Publishing Company.

Introduction to Physical Anthropology (2009-2010) Jurmain, Kilgore and Trevathan, with R. Ciochon 12th Edition. Wadsworth.

Other required readings: 

Numerous articles are available online via the Blackboard course website (http://courses.utexas.edu)

Daily routine: Most weeks I will lecture on the assigned topic for the first half of the time period.  The remaining time will be used for class discussion on the assigned readings.  Please read all assigned readings before class meets each week, and be prepared to discuss them (25% of your grade is participation!). 

Leading class discussion: Each student will be required to lead one class discussion. This will require you to be responsible for summarizing the essence of that day’s reading assignments, as well as preparing leading questions to ask the class that will generate discussion.

Short papers and lab assignments:  Please see separate information sheets on these. 

Term project presentation: Each student will be required to conduct a small research project during the course of the semester and then present the results the last day of class in a 10-15 minute professional-style presentation.  The goal of this assignment is to get your “feet wet” by doing original research and learning how to present your data as you would at a national conference (e.g. American Association of Physical Anthropologists).  I will meet with each student individually to help you figure out what you will do your research on, and to help you identify the resources you need to carry out your project.  If you are unable to collect original data, as an alternative you may compile data from the literature to analyze in a new way.

Term project paper: You are also required to write a paper on your research project in journal article style.  This paper should be approximately 15 pages long, but no more than 20.

Note on UT policies:

Religious holy days. A student who misses classes or other required activities, including examinations, for the observance of a religious holy day should inform me as far in advance of the absence as possible, so that arrangements can be made to complete an assignment within a reasonable time after the absence.

Students with disabilities:  At the beginning of the semester, students with disabilities who need special accommodations should notify the instructor by presenting a letter prepared by the Services for Students with Disabilities (SSD) office.  To ensure the most appropriate accommodations can be provided, students should contact the SSD at 471-6259. See http://deanofstudents.utexas.edu/ssd/

COURSE SYLLABUS 

Aug 26           

Organizational meeting

Sept 2 

Past, present and future of physical anthropology

Sept 9 

History of evolutionary theory, microevolutionary processes

Sept 16           

Macroevolution, classification, and phylogenetic reconstruction (PAPER 1 DUE)

Sept 23           

Primate taxonomy, systematics and diversity

Sept 30           

Human variation and adaptation (Guest lecture: Deborah Bolnick)

Oct 7  

Primate anatomy and adaptations: Body size, locomotion, and postcranial anatomy

Oct 14

Primate anatomy and primate origins  (Guest lecture: Chris Kirk)

Oct 21 

Primate behavior and ecology (LAB ASSIGNMENT DUE)

Oct 28

The primate fossil record: Major trends in primate evolution

Nov 4 

Australopithecines and the evolution of bipedalism  (PAPER 2 DUE) 

Nov 11           

The evolution of Homo 

Nov 18           

Origin of anatomically modern Homo sapiens

Nov 25           

Thanksgiving (no class)

Dec 2  

Student project presentations  (PAPER DUE DEC 7)